(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the installation of electrical systems, and more particularly to a method and system for installing electrical conduit between non-adjacent electrical junction boxes.
(2) Description of Related Art
The installation of an electrical system in a building often requires that the electrical wiring be encased in rigid conduit to protect the wiring being installed or to separate particular types of electrical service. This is particularly true for non-residential construction.
In a typical installation, numerous electrical junction boxes and conduits are installed in the stud spaces in the walls of the building. Standard electrical junction boxes used in commercial construction are of a uniform depth, but are available in a variety of sizes. Because it is often necessary or desirable to connect the conduit, and the wiring therein, between two electrical junction boxes, the space between the walls and the studs can become quite congested with conduit. This problem is magnified when the electrical junction boxes to be connected are not adjacent to each other and another electrical junction box is positioned therebetween and at the same elevation. This situation prohibits the use of straight sections of conduit to connect the pair of electrical junction boxes because the intervening electrical junction box is normally of the same depth as the other electrical junction boxes and creates an obstacle to a straight run of conduit. To remedy this situation, the conduit must be routed around the interfering box. This requires the use of curved conduit containing 90.degree. bends to avoid the interfering electrical junction box. In a typical installation, the electrical conduit is routed out of the top of one box by using conduit having a 90.degree. bend at one end, a straight section of sufficient length to span the distance between the two electrical junction boxes, and another curved section at the opposite end having a 90.degree. bend which is routed into the top of the other electrical junction box. The curved sections of conduit must either be purchased and coupled to straight sections of conduit or the curved sections are fabricated at the site of installation.
Although this method solves the problem of installing conduit between a pair of non-adjacent electrical junction boxes when the location of another electrical junction box prohibits the use of straight sections of conduit, it is not an efficient solution to the problem because it is costly in terms of time and materials. A need exists, therefore, in the building industry for a method of installing electrical conduit between non-adjacent electrical junction boxes that avoids the foregoing problems.